Once, They Were Friends
by GalaxyHitchhiker
Summary: They have been split apart by death and mistrust, but they were once the best of friends. Together, they joked, laughed, learned, and grew up. PG-13 for a scene of violence
1. Prologue

Authors Note: I haven't written fanfic in a while, but the muse was upon me. Maybe I'll actually finish this one. I hope so, I like what I've done so far. Not much to say, besides any parts in first person are Albus Dumbledore's thoughts.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, its all J.K. Rowling and her publishers, and Warner Bros. Please don't sue me, its just a fanfic.

**Once, They Were Friends**

Prologue

_ Peter Pettigrew, the last of Lord Voldemort's major _

_ supporters, at last fell two days ago. He was killed in a _

_ duel by Remus Lupin, a professor at Hogwarts School. Lupin_

_ fought nobly, and though he was mortally wounded, he _

_ managed to finally kill Pettigrew. He died of wounds inflicted,_

_ not by a wand, but of Pettigrew's silver hand. As all "Daily _

_ Prophet" readers know, Lord Voldemort was killed . . . _

So the era of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs has come to an end. Even I never thought it would end like that. I had always hoped, if not really believed, that Peter would return to the side of good, repent for the crimes he committed. But once a man has fallen that far, it is impossible to return. Having known them since they were young, I should have recognized the seeds of corruption in him, the latching one to the one that could give him the most power. I could have prevented so much pain for all of them, and for the ones who loved them. But hindsight is always twenty-twenty, to use a rather cliche expression. To see how they reached their deaths, all young, all in violence and battle, it seems necessary to see where they began. I must write it, must make it known.

-Albus Dumbledore, December 1998

Sirius Black was born first, the first of two children to a wealthy, pureblood family. His childhood, though privileged, would not be a joyful one. His parents, in attempts to keep his mind and blood line "pure," cut him and his brother off from anyone who may teach them "subversive" ideas. There were not many other children in the Black family, and in his solitude, Sirius began to not only resent his parents at a very young age, but to question their fervent beliefs in purity of blood.

James Potter was born a few months later, also to a pureblood family. His childhood, however, was a far more pleasant one. He had no siblings, but many friends with local children. Some were magical, some were not. It never mattered to the Potters, so it never mattered to James. His parents taught James tolerance for all people, but also instilled in him two things that proved problematic as he grew older. First was a tendency to hold grudges, and the second were the seeds of a superiority complex. As an only child, and a very bright little boy, James was the recipient of all his parents' praise. Though he had many local friends, he wasn't necessarily prepared to be in a situation where people didn't always have to tell him he was the best.

Peter Pettigrew was born within a week of James, but seemed considerably younger. Also an only child, he spent much of his time alone. His parents, both muggles, worked much of the time, and his two sisters were much older than he. He had few real friends as a small child. When he did go to playgrounds, he was often picked on by older bullies. Though not as smart as some of his Hogwarts classmates, he learned one thing early on. The easiest way not to be picked on is to befriend those who would be bullying you. A philosophy he would live by all of his life.

Several months after Peter was born, on the second day of September, a set of twins was born to Emily and Julius Lupin. Lupin, though fitting because of future circumstances, was an ancestral name, changed over the years from something now long forgotten. Julius liked to tell people in pubs that his great-great grandfather had once killed a werewolf terrorizing his village, but that was most likely not the case. The twins were named Romulus and Remus, upholding a tradition of naming children after Roman heroes.

And so in that year, four very different boys were born, destined to meet and befriend one another. We know the fates of their adult lives, but as students we have only whisperings. Whatever would happen later in life, at Hogwarts they were friends, and nothing could change that.

More to come soon, I promise. If you liked it, review. If you hated it, review. Criticism is always welcome, as long as its constructive. The more encouragement I get, the faster I post.


	2. Book One: Moony Chapter 1: Change

Authors Note: Yay! People seemed to like my prologue, so I have renewed will to update quickly. Thanks a million to all who reviewed, and since someone asked, the narrator is Dumbledore. This fic is going to be broken into four parts (all included as chapters) which will each be in a bunch of chapters, with an interlude from Dumbledore's POV in between each book. It'll make more sense when I have more chapters up.

Disclaimer: All the characters are Rowling's, except for the ones that aren't. Everything that is copyrighted is hers and her publishers and Warner Bros. Now that that's out of the way, on with the story.

**Once, They Were Friends**

Book One: Moony

Chapter One: Change

Romulus was older by five minutes, and much larger than his brother. Remus was always small, with a tendency towards frequent illness, though no more severe than garden variety childhood things. The boys, living in a small house near a forest, tended to be more or less isolated from other children. There was a playground in the town nearby, but the boys seemed happy staying in and around their home.

Early on, Rom tended to look after his brother, making sure he didn't fall, watching him carefully. He had that instinct to protect. Remus was more "studious." Rom was the first to walk on his own; Remus was the first to talk. Rom learned how to ride a bicycle at the age of four; Remus took that time to learn to read on his own. And they helped each other.

One would never have known it by observing this home, but both parents came from magically backgrounds. Emily was a Sqib. Julius was a wizard, but had not kept up his education, and avoided the magical community. They lived as Muggles, and they got along nicely. It was likely that the boys would get Hogwarts letters when they reached eleven, but that was an issue that would be dealt with when it came. There would be much greater problems to deal with first.

There was a playground in the village near the Lupin's home. It was frequented by the Muggle children who lived there, and though the Lupin family didn't use magic in daily life, their boys might do something accidentally. It was for this reason that Emily only took her children there at dusk, when most of the neighborhood children had gone home. It was easier that way.

One summer night, on the full moon, the boys wanted to stay out later, at this little playground. It was on this fateful night that their lives changed forever. The moon gave enough light that they could stay out even after the late sunset. The five-year-old boys were laughing and playing happily, having no fears of this kind of darkness. Emily smiled, watching them swing and run around. Then she turned sharply to the bushes around the park, her motherly instinct alerting her of some kind of danger.

Before she had time to react, a massive wolf bounded out of the shrubbery. "Boys!" Emily screamed to her children, who had frozen in fright, "Come here now. Run!"

They nodded and ran toward their mother, the wolf following them. Romulus reached his mother, who pulled him close instinctively. Remus, however, had tripped and fallen. Faster than Emily could run, the wolf grabbed hold of her son. It bit his arm violently, shook him. The small child was screaming, as was his brother. Rom was trying to run out to Remus, but his mother held him back. Suddenly, a gunshot came out from the distance. The wolf looked up, and another gunshot made it turn and run back into the woods.

Emily ran over to her injured son. She held him in her arms, tears running down her eyes. The man who had fired the gun was running toward them. "Oh, God," he said, seeing all the blood on the ground. "Wait here, ma'am. I'll get a truck, drive you to the hospital." She didn't look up, but she nodded.

Hours later, she sat by her son's bedside at the local hospital. He was alive, but badly injured, and he looked ill. Romulus waited outside the room, not allowed in. Julius ran in.

"Is he alright?" he asked, breathless.

"For now," Emily said softly. "But, Julius, it wasn't just an ordinary wolf. It was a . . ." She trailed off, her face filled with fresh tears, but she didn't need to finish. Her husband understood. It had been a werewolf that had attacked their son, who would now be a werewolf as well.

"Emily, we have to talk about this." He looked down at their child, who looked peaceful as he slept. "Emily, he's not human anymore."

"He's my baby!" she said, her voice rising.

"He's a werewolf. We have to do something about it." There were tears beginning to form in his eyes, his love for his son trying to prevent him from saying the words.

"I won't let you kill him!" Emily nearly shouted. She lowered her voice quickly so the nurses in the hospital would not hear the disturbance. "I won't let you hurt my baby."

"Em, he's not human any more. We need to report him to the Ministry or something."

"Do you know what they do to werewolves? They kill them, or cut them off from everyone and everything. He _is _human. They only change on the full moon, right? So one night out of every month he might be dangerous. We can deal with that."

Julius looked at his son, and at his wife. As much as he wanted to believe her, he knew their lives were forever changed, and not at all for the better. But seeing the innocence on the face of the sleeping child, and the tears in his wife's eyes, he knew he could argue no longer. "Fine. We keep him. But this means that both boys are relatively cut off from the outside. We stay together as a family, but no one else finds out. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "As a family," she whispered, tears finally falling from her eyes.

A few days later, young Remus was home, tired and ill but alive. The family knew that they had problems to deal with, but the next full moon would not be for another four weeks, so they had time. Julius set to work strengthening the tool shed in their yard. It was small, but so was Remus, and it was unlikely that the boy would transform into an adult wolf. He reinforced the shed so it would hold at least for a few moons, and he could fix it more when the time came.

Rom was running around the yard while his brother sat in the shade reading a book. They were both so innocent, so oblivious to the life that was ahead of them. Explaining Remus' new problem to both boys was going to be hard. Remus could sense something was wrong and looked at his parents with an expression of worry that was almost alarming to see on such a young face. Romulus had no idea that something may be wrong, but sometimes when he saw the worry on his brother's face, he felt that things were different. Emily and Julius didn't know what to do, so they waited it out.

The full moon approached sooner than anyone would have liked. Remus felt different now, he felt himself changing. The day before the moon, Emily gathered her children together.

"Boys, I have something important to explain to you. Do you what tomorrow night is?"

Rom shook his head no, but Remus said in a quiet voice, "It's the full moon." The expression on his face was painful for the mother to see, a grim resolution that he knew what was happening, even if he didn't entirely understand it, and he was scared.

"That's right, baby. Do you both remember what happened a month ago?" The boys nodded, their normally bright faces somber and serious. "That wolf bit Remus, right?" They nodded again. "That wasn't an ordinary wolf." She paused, not sure how to continue.

Remus looked up into her eyes and asked, "It was a werewolf, wasn't it, Mommy?" She nodded, working hard to suppress tears that were welling up behind her eyes. "Does that mean I'm going to be a werewolf, too?"

"Yes, baby." He looked at her thoughtfully. How, she wondered, could someone so young look so serious.

"Does that mean," he swallowed, and looked as if he was about to cry, "I'm going to die?"

Emily inhaled sharply, shaking her head. "No, baby, of course not. You're going to be just fine. You'll just be different once a month."

"But I read that they kill werewolves. Because werewolves are dangerous, the Ministry of Magic kills them."

"But we won't let them hurt you, baby. Daddy and I will protect you from anything that would hurt you. I promise."

"And I'll take care of you, too," said Rom, putting his arm around his twin. "I won't let anything happen to my little brother!"

"I'm not little!" said Remus, suddenly acting five again. With that, they ran off to play games, reassured that things would be alright. Emily Lupin was left sitting on her kitchen floor, a single tear rolling down her cheek, but she smiled. How lucky she was to be blessed with such caring, sweet boys.

The day of the full moon, Remus was tired and seemed ill. He sat reading in the warm August sun, or played quiet games with his brother. As dusk grew closer, their parents grew ever more worried. Just before the sun set and the moon rose, Julius led Remus into the small shed.

"Are you alright?" he asked his son before locking him in. The young boy nodded, frightened, and the father locked the door to the shed.

That night, neither parent could fall asleep. They sat up, neither able to speak, listening to the howls that came from that shed in their yard. The night seemed like an eternity, both filled with worry about their small son, though about different things. Emily had a mother's ordinary concern for her child's well being, hoping he would be alright after this experience. But she was also filled with a sort of relief, that if they could get through the first full moon, then they would be able to get through anything.

Julius' fears were quite different. Though he did fear for Remus' well being, he also had a deeper fear. He worried that as Remus grew, the wolf would be harder to cage, and if he were to get out, to kill someone, the father worried about what he knew he would have to do. He would have to kill the wolf that was his son, but he didn't think he could do it. He prayed he wouldn't have to.

The next morning at sunrise, Julius carried his sleeping son back into the house. Emily gasped when she saw him. A deep gash ran down his chest, and other smaller scratches and cuts covered his body. A streak of bright red blood marred his otherwise innocent face. Tears filled her eyes, and she hoped Rom wouldn't come down to see this.

Her husband had left the boy on the couch in their living room and gone into the cabinet he usually kept locked. From it he retrieved a small bottle, its cork a little dusty from long years of disuse, but the potion inside was still effective. He dabbed a small amount on Remus' cuts, and they healed instantly. Remus slept the rest of the day, and seemed a little ill for a day or two afterwards, but otherwise was fine.

So full moons continued like that for several years. The boys continued to grow up, and were still sweet, caring children, but their parents felt a shadow that was coming as they grew older. It would be time for them to get an education of some kind, a magical one. They learned other things on their own, but they would need to go to Hogwarts. At least, Rom would, and that was where the problem lay. But that was still years a away, and it was something they would deal with when it came.

A/N: Again, many thanks to those who have reviewed. Please leave more, it makes me ever so happy! More to come as soon as possible, but probably not for at least a week. After that, don't expect things until the end of May, 'cause I'll be really busy for the next few weeks.


	3. Solitaire

Author's Note: Yay! People seem to like the two chapters I've posted of this, so I have the will to keep going. One correction: A friend pointed out that I have Pettigrew as both an only child and having two sisters. That was a mistake, obviously; I added the bit about his sisters later, forgetting that I had said he was an only child. I'll actually correct that in the story soon. (He's going to have sisters). Someone said that my first two chapters were too sad, and I'm sorry about that. This chapter will also be pretty depressing, but it will get happier afterwards, once the Marauders are brought together and begin causing mayhem.

I upped the rating to PG-13 for violence, BTW.

Disclaimer: Characters and stuff are JKR's and her publisher's, don't sue me.

**Once, They Were Friends**

Book One: Moony

Chapter Two: Solitaire

Three years, or thirty-six full moons, had passed since that fateful night on the playground. Remus and Romulus grew bigger, as little boys are apt to do, and they were still the best of friends. They had to be, because since the first full moon, they hadn't seen or spoken to anyone else their age. Emily had wanted to move away, in hopes that it would confuse any authorities who might search for their family, but Julius reminded her that a sudden change of address might arouse suspicion. They lived happily.

It was 1969, in August. The twins were eight years old, their ninth birthdays in two weeks. Tonight was a full moon, but it wasn't anything new. Remus spent the day rereading his favorite book, _The Hobbit_, or else played card games or chess with Rom. They had learned how to play chess from their mother, who also tutored them in all the subjects they would need to learn, not being able to send them to the local primary school. Remus liked summer moons, because the moon always rose with the sun rise and set, and night was shorter this time of year.

Julius looked at the shed that had well served its purpose for those past thirty-six moons. He would probably need to reinforce the door and the sides the next day, but it looked as if it would hold for tonight, at least.

The Lupin family slept uneasily that night as the werewolf howled and thrashed in the small shed. Close to dawn, however, a very different noise came from outside. A loud crash woke the family from their light sleep. Julius and Emily leapt out of bed in time to see the back wall of the small shed fallen to the ground and the werewolf in their yard. Julius bolted down the stairs. Ahead of him ran Romulus. "Stop!" yelled the father. "Stay in the house!"

The athletic boy didn't listen, and he ran ahead of his father and out the door. The sky was just beginning to grow lighter in the east, as sunrise fast approached. "Remus!" Rom called. "Remus stop!" The wolf turned at the sound. Rom ran out into the middle of the yard.

By this point, Emily was also waiting in the doorway. "Romulus Matthew Lupin, get into this house now!" she yelled, more terrified than angry. Her son ignored her.

"Rem! Listen to me!" called the boy. The wolf's ears pricked up. "You have to stay here until the sun comes up!"

Their mother tried to call her son again, "Rom, baby, he doesn't understand you. Come back into the house!"

"No, mum, I think he does understand me." Rom turned his back on the wolf for a moment to answer his mother.

The next few moments played out as if in slow motion. The wolf began to run toward Rom, who wasn't looking. When he realized what was happening, he tried to run back into the house, but it was too late. The wolf pounced on him, its long claws sinking into Rom's soft flesh, ripping and biting its prey. Rom screamed at the initial attack, but soon fell silent, falling unconscious from the pain and injury. His mother fell to the ground, tears filling her eyes. Julius had disappeared inside the house.

The first glimmer of sunlight was just rising over the eastern treetops. The wolf turned from its prey, now looking at Emily. Blood covered its face and paws, and it was still for the moment. Its ears pricked up again, sensitive to the sound of the footsteps behind the sobbing woman.

Julius reappeared in the doorway. The wolf moved away from the dying child, coming towards the house. The sun was now casting a glow over the trees, and the sky was pink. Julius Lupin's face was set. A single tear fell from his eye onto his hand and the trigger of a rifle, pointed at the wolf. Another tear falling, he fired.

But before he could stop, before he could change it, his target changed. Instead of the vicious monster that had just killed his son, a small, terrified boy sat. His brother's blood mixed with his own as he fell to the ground, whimpering in pain. Emily ran out to her boys, one dead, one probably dying, both covered in blood. She pulled them into her arms and sobbed. Julius simply stood in the doorway, unable to comprehend what had happened. He had fired a silver bullet, but he had missed the heart, he could tell that, and his target had not been a werewolf after all, but his own son, his innocent, quiet, caring son. The wolf had killed Rom, not the boy, but Julius knew he could only destroy one by killing both parts of Remus, the good and the bad.

Emily saw that Rom was dead, but she could feel Remus' ragged, uneven breaths against her hand, feel a faint heartbeat. He was close to death, needed medical attention. She would not lose both of her children on this day. She couldn't. She turned to Julius, who had let the rifle fall to the ground, and her grief was momentarily replaced with such a rage, such anger that she had never before experienced. Had she been thinking rationally, it would have frightened her, but she couldn't think.

Her voice was low, but penetrating, like a growl. "How could you?" she asked her husband, her face shaking. "How could you take my baby from me? After we lose Rom, how could you take Remus from me?"

Julius looked away from her, but he answered, his voice breaking. "Remus is the reason Rom is dead. He killed his brother. He's a monster, Emily. An animal that needed to be put down. I knew I would have to do it one day. I hoped and I prayed that I would never have to, but I knew it would come. So I was ready." But he didn't really believe his words. He felt like a murderer. He felt his son's blood on his hands. Not just Remus' but Romulus' as well. He should have been able to prevent this. He looked at he horror on his wife's face again, the blood that covered both his boys. He stared out for a moment, then he turned to the house and ran. Ran out the door, out of the village. The family never heard from him again.

Emily never new how she got through the next hours. She carried Remus into the house, placed him onto the couch. She found the cabinet that her husband always kept locked, found a neatly labeled healing potion, as well as a small hunting knife.

Holding her breath, she dug the silver bullet out of her son's shoulder, trying hard not to scream. She dabbed the potion onto the wound, and watched it heal. The boy's pulse became more steady and his breath more even. He would live from this.

Without saying a word, letting only silent tears fall, she buried Romulus under a favorite tree in their yard. In the days that passed, she planted flowers over his grave, letting tears fall on the soil as she dug. Remus slept without stirring for three days, and when he awoke he cried. Sat by his brother's grave and tried in his young mind to get over the guilt, but he could not. Not until after the next moon did he feel any desire to move on with his life, when, after a month of his mother's reassuring words, he realized that he could not remember the full moons. If he could not remember it, it must not have been him. It was someone else, something else. It had to be.

For a year they got on, mother and son. They grieved for Romulus, and they felt Julius' absence, but they lived. They loved and cared for each other, and they were almost happy.

A year went by, and it was July. Remus would turn eleven in a little less than two months, but he didn't think about what most wizard children would be thinking about. He had not thoughts that he may get a Hogwarts letter. He knew it wasn't possible, so he didn't bother to try. But deep within the back of his mind, he thought that there might be the tiniest of glimmers that he could get a letter. He didn't dwell on the thought, but he had a little hope.

And, in the most impossible of occurrences, a letter came.

It was addressed to him, quite plainly. Mr. R. J. Lupin. It was a traditional Hogwart's letter, the very same that Emily Lupin remembered her brothers getting. It alerted him of the start of term, and told him to send a letter back. There was a school book list, and along with that, a more specialized letter. It read:

Dear Mrs. Emily Lupin,

I understand that this may come as a shock to you. Under previous Hogwarts' headmasters, children with lycanthropy were denied admission. However, I feel that with a few necessary precautions, there is no need to bar Remus' entry in our school. The intentions of the founders of our school was to make a magical education available to all young witches and wizards, and any discrimination against qualified applicants would be unfair and against our school's goal.

If it would be at all possible, I would like greatly to meet with you before start of term to discuss any concerns you may have. Send an owl, and I will arrange for a meeting as soon as possible.

Yours most sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School

Emily hastily scribbled a reply, thanking him profusely and asking for a meeting as soon as possible. Remus looked overjoyed, and immediately settled on the couch with one of the magic books that had been kept out of the way for so many years, eager to learn. The next day, Albus Dumbledore was scheduled to arrive at the Lupin home. Emily rushed about, cleaning and cooking a meal fit for this benevolent man that was willing to accept her son. At about two in the afternoon, a polite knock came at the door. In the doorway stood a fairly tall, very old man. He had long white hair and a beard to match. Friendly, compassionate, blue eyes sparked behind half-moon spectacles. He glanced at an odd looking watch. "So sorry for being late," he said to Mrs. Lupin.

"Oh, no, you're not late at all," she replied. "Come in, come in." They walked into the kitchen, and she invited him to sit down. "I must say, the Hogwarts invitation came as a complete surprise. As I had understood it, werewolves were denied entrance to the school because they had to become registered, and the Ministry often had them killed."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "This was the policy, that is true. I have only recently become headmaster of Hogwarts, and I decided that this was a rule spawned out of fear and prejudice, and it had no place in my school. I saw your sons' names written early on the Hogwarts list, but they had both been scratched off. I did some research, and I found out why. I added Remus to the list again and he got his letter."

"But what will happen on the full moon? Will he be kept safe from other students?"

"Every possible precaution will be made to make sure he isn't a danger to anyone. We have recently purchased a Whomping Willow, and we are working to construct a tunnel where your son can transform in safety. The tree will guard the entrance, and it will prevent his escape and the exploration of other curious students."

"And he will be able to make up classes he misses because of the moon? What about astronomy? Won't he have to have classes at nights?"

"He will be able to make up any work he misses. All of the professors will be alerted of his condition, and it will not be a problem."

"What about other students? Will they be told as well?"

"Only if Remus wants to tell them. Otherwise it will be a complete secret." Dumbledore smiled warmly and turned to look into the living room. A head quickly popped out of view, and the headmaster gave a small laugh. "Well, come in, young man. I'd like to meet you."

Remus stepped into the kitchen nervously. He looked up, right into Dumbledore's eyes, and asked, "Is it really true that I can come to school?"

"But of course. Every young wizard should receive an education."

"But I'll only be ten at start of term. Isn't that too young?"

"Your birthday is September the second, is it not?"

"It is."

"Then you qualify. We changed the cut off to the end of September in recent years, because we had students who were of age before classes had started in their sixth year. This way, students had at least a month of their sixth year before they learned to Apperate. Safer that way."

"So that means I'm going to school? With other wizards?"

"Yes, of course."

A bright smile lit up Remus' serious, usually stoic face. "Thank you, sir," he said, suddenly dashing off to read again.

Emily was smiling as well. "He's a good boy. It's not fair what happened to him. He didn't deserve it at all."

Dumbledore looked at the woman, who was rather young seemed older from worry and hard work. "Sometimes it is the challenges in life that make us stronger. It is true, he has been given a disadvantage in life, but he has dealt with it admirably. The test will come as he gets older, into the world."

Emily looked into Dumbledore's eyes again. "He'll be fine. I have faith in him."

"So do I," he said. "So do I."

Did you like it? Did you hate it? Then tell me! Reviews mean faster chapters. Next up: Remus goes to Hogwarts and the Marauders are united!


	4. Unlikely Friendships

A/N: Hope people are still reading this. Not much to say, except this will actually be a happy chapter! Enjoy! Oh, and I realized that Pettigrew can't be Muggle born, so that's been altered a little.

Disclaimer: I think everyone gets the point by now, that none of the characters are mine, except for a handful of original characters, and everything that should carry a copyright belongs to JKR, her publishers, and Warner Bros. Don't sue me.

Once, They Were Friends

Book One: Moony

Chapter 3: Unlikely Friendships

It was early in the morning on September 1, 1971. Remus Lupin actually woke his mother at six-thirty in the morning, not wanting to miss his train. He was filled with a muted sort of boundless energy. Usually silent, or at least very quiet, he couldn't stop talking during breakfast, or when he carefully rechecked his trunk to make sure he packed everything, or during the taxi ride to Kings Cross station. He followed his mother through the train station, each of them holding one handle of his trunk, and he searched all of the platform signs. Seven, eight, nine. . . Nine and three quarters must be next, he thought excitedly. But the next sign he could see was ten.

"Where's the platform?" he asked his mother nervously. "Shouldn't it be right here?"

"Well, of course it's hidden," she answered him, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's between platforms nine and ten."

"So how do we find it?" he asked, wondering if this would be some test to see if he was worthy of Hogwarts admittance.

"Follow me," she said, and, walking straight into the wall between platforms nine and ten, she disappeared. He had no choice but to try and follow her, as they were both still holding the trunk between them. When he found he could easily pass through the wall as if it were nothing but air, he stared up at his mother. "I saw my brothers do that so many times. I wasn't sure if it would work for me, but clearly it did."

A shining sign told him that they were indeed on platform nine and three-quarters. Other children, some in Muggle clothing, some in wizard's robes were saying good-bye to their parents and siblings, finding their friends, and taking seats on the train.

Emily Lupin looked down at her son. "Have a wonderful year, honey."

"I will, mom."

"Be careful, and do try and make friends."

"I will." She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye, Remus. Be careful." She gave him a hug, and turned to return home on the taxi she had left outside. Remus was left to carry his trunk to the train, which he managed with some difficulty. Not having any friends to sit with, he hoped to find an empty compartment on the train so that he could read in peace. He did, and quietly opened his book.

Outside of the train, children were still arriving and mingling on the platform. Two boys, both first years, were waving good-bye to their families. Not looking at where they were going, they collided into each other. Dungbombs, fireworks, and other pranks spilled out of their pockets.

One of the boys, who had messy black hair and glasses, asked, "Do you know which ones are yours and which are mine?"

The other, who had dark brown hair combed neatly and deep grey eyes, replied, "I can't tell. Do you want to just spit them in half? Or we can sort through them on the train."

"That sounds good. I'm James Potter, by the way."

"I'm Sirius Black." Both of them looked the other over, thinking about the names, which sounded very familiar.

James remembered where had heard the name Black before. "My parents say your family is narrow minded and represent everything that is keeping wizard kind back in the Middle Ages."

Sirius also remembered the name Potter. "Well, my father says that Potters are blood traitors and Muggle-lovers, desecrating the purity of wizard blood." He struggled a little with the last few words, as if remembering an oft-repeated speech that he didn't care to understand.

"Shall we be friends then?" asked James, a smile on his face.

"Of course. I never listen to what my parents say, anyway." They scooped up the pranking products and began to talk about the havoc they could begin to cause at Hogwarts.

Another boy, small and rather mousy looking, was watching this scene. He realized that if he befriended anyone at school, he wanted to be on the right side of these boys. He held back until they were on the train, then hurried along afterwards.

By the time James and Sirius arrived on the train, nearly all the compartments were full. They found that one of the last compartments only had one occupant, Remus.

"Can we sit here?" James asked. Remus looked up from his book to see two boys, probably first years like himself.

"Sure," he said softly, returning to his book. They wouldn't want to talk to him. They were already friends, and they wouldn't want to talk to him.

James and Sirius slid into the two seats opposite Remus. "What's your name, and what year are you?" Sirius asked, pulling some candy out of his bag.

"Remus Lupin. This is my first year."

"Ours too," said James. "I'm James Potter, and this is Sirius Black. We've only just met, but we've decided to be friends." He smiled, holding his hand out for Remus to shake. Remus took it, putting his book in his bag.

At that moment, the short, mousy boy strode rather leisurely into the compartment. "All the others are full. Do you all have room?"

"Sure, I guess so," said James. "Do you guys mind?" The others shook their heads.

"I'm Peter Pettigrew." The others introduced themselves, and Peter sat down. An awkward silence settled, and Remus turned to his book again.

"Are your parents wizards, too?" Sirius asked, trying to make conversation.

"Nope. Well, not really," said Peter. He continued when he saw their looks of confusion. "I'm adopted. I never really knew my real parents, but the ones I live with are Muggles.. They thought it was some sort of hoax until my mother mentioned it to my aunt, who knew my birth parents. She says they were both wizards. So here I am."

"What about you, Remus?" asked James. "What's your family situation like?"

"My mum is a Sqib; I think my dad was a wizard. He left two years ago, and he had never brought it up around the family." He didn't think now was the best opportunity to go into the details of his family life.

"Well, both my parents are magical," said James. "Though some would argue whether I would be classified as half-blood or pure-blood." He shot a dark look at Sirius, who instantly became defensive.

"My parents are idiots, James. You know that. Who cares about purity of blood and whatnot. Hell, our family motto is 'Always Pure.' My mother has this family tree where she burns out family that 'betrays our purity of blood.' I think they arranged for me to marry one of my second cousins, just so our line stays 'noble.' They're crackpots, I swear." Sirius was shaking his head, out of breath from talking so quickly. James was laughing.

"I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. Anyway, Sirius and I seem to be of like mind that the best way to make a name for ourselves at this school, without relying on the fact that every one knows our families, is to cause mild mayhem as soon as we can get a descent footing in the goings on of the school. Would you both be willing to join us in this endeavor?" Sirius glanced sideways at James, impressed and a little taken a-back by his business-like manner and choice of vocabulary. James noticed his expression and asked, "What?"

"The way you talk. It's like you swallowed a dictionary or something."

James looked embarrassed. "I- I read a lot," he said quietly. "I had a lot of time on my hands."

"Whatever." Sirius laughed a little, then turned back to Remus and Peter. "Anyway, do you two want to get in on some pranking?"

Peter said yes instantly, very excited to be getting in on this opportunity. Almost a little too excited, thought Remus. He, on the other hand, was considerably more hesitant. He had been given a tremendous opportunity by being allowed to attend Hogwarts, and he really didn't want to mess things up. However, these people wanted to be his friends. Granted, they didn't know the secret he kept, but they didn't have too, did they? The desire for friendship of this boy was stronger even than his desire not to make waves at this school.

"Remus, are you in?" asked James.

"Why not," he said, trying to hide anything in his voice that might show his concern over rule breaking.

"Alright then," said James in an official sort of way. "We'll be friends. Provided we all wind up in the same house. Speaking of which, do any of you know how you get sorted? My parents wouldn't tell."

"The only cousin I talk to, she's in her last year here, wouldn't tell either. I guess it can't decide by family or anything though, 'cause she's a Black but she wound up in Ravenclaw." Sirius looked thoughtful for a second. "I wonder where she is. It'll be good to see her again."

Remus, obviously unaware of the structure of the school, asked, "What are the houses? What do you mean, sorting?"

"Well," said Sirius, "there are four houses. Ravenclaw, that's for people who are rather smart, like my cousin Andie. When anybody talks about Gryffindors, it's always how brave they are. Hufflepuffs are supposed to be really loyal and trustworthy, and Slytherins are ambitious."

"More like evil," said James. "Power hungry and obsessed with purity of blood."

"Hey," said Sirius in an offended sort of voice. "All my family's been in Slytherin. Everyone except Andromeda and my Uncle Alphard. He was in Hufflepuff, but we don't talk about him."

"Well, all my family's been in Gryffindor, and I've never heard good things about Slytherins."

"Neither have I," said Sirius, laughing now. "And I have to live with them, I oughta know."

Glad that his new friend hadn't been offended, James laughed as well. The four young boys continued to discuss the sorting and what it could entail, and rumors about teachers they had heard. Sirius knew the most, because he had talked with cousins who were already at the school. A witch came with a trolley of snacks midway through the ride, so James and Sirius pooled their money to buy food for the group. All Peter had was Muggle money, which was rather stupid. Remus didn't have anything to spend, but no one made anything of it.

About half an hour after the snack witch came, they had another visitor, a much less welcomed one.

The door to their compartment slide open, and in the doorway stood a tall, pale boy of about seventeen. His grey eyes were cold, and he had a look of extreme superiority on his face. He was surrounded by a few other boys: two who were large and rather dim looking, one who had dark hair and a rather malicious look on his face, and one very short boy with greasy black hair and a long nose, probably a first year. "So," said the pale boy, obviously the leader of the group. "Yet another Black will grace the halls of the school with his presence. I sincerely hope he lives up to the prestige of the name. I, for one, am thrilled to be coming into the family in a few years. You know I'm engaged to one of your cousins, of course."

"I know," said Sirius. He was looking fiercely at the group of older students.

"Of course you do. Now, I suppose no one has told you the way things work at this school, but if you need someone to show you the ropes, Rodolphus and I would be happy to take you under our wing. We have already found one of your classmates, Severus Snape, who seems to agree with our family's way of thinking. The way of thinking which almost certainly excludes this sort." His eyes wandered over James, Remus, and Peter.

Sirius' voice became low, like a growl. "Go away, Lucius. I don't need any help around this school, and I most certainly don't want yours."

"Fine then," said Lucius, unfazed by the younger boy's anger. "You'll come to see who you are supposed to be. Come on, everyone. We don't need to waste our time with blood-traitors and mudbloods."

After they left, Sirius began to rant loudly about how he hated that part of his family, and begging his new friends to not be offended. Though they easily forgave him, he continued to rant, so Remus turned to the book he had been reading, eager to finish it before arriving at Hogwarts.

Finally, the train pulled into the school. They filed off to a loud voice. "Firs' years!" it called. "Firs' years this way!" The largest man they had ever seen lead them over to small boats that would carry them across the lake. The new students found themselves in the large entrance hall, where they were awaited by a middle-aged witch with the sort of expression that made one wonder if she ever laughed at anything.

"Please line up," she said over their chatter. "The sorting will begin momentarily."

A/N: Sorry about the delay, school has been really busy. But now all I have is a week left, which of course has to be filled with finals, but at least the days are shorter. What that means is, until I start camp, I'll actually have time to write and update. Yay! Please, please, please, please leave reviews, because they make me happy, and then I'll write faster and better!.


	5. The Insight of an Old Hat

A/N: So, so sorry that I've taken so long to update. I'm bad, and I'm a slow writer. Again, many thanks to all those who reviewed. Because someone asked, Lily will be appearing in this chapter, I promise. Sorry if this one is short, but I want to keep updating. Enjoy!.

Disclaimer: With the exception of a few originals, none of the characters, settings, situations, etc. are mine. All are JKR. Believe me, if they belonged to me, Sirius would still be alive and Lupin would be the main character. Two original characters I don't take credit for are Carol Morgan and Stuart Benjamin. They're based on two of my friends, both crazed Harry Potter freaks. Oh, and I stole the Gryffindor password from Dr. Seuss. My high school is putting on "Seussical the Musical" in the fall, and I'm listening to that as I write.

Once, They Were Friends

Book One: Moony

Chapter 4: The Insight Of An Old Hat

The severe looking witch held in her hands a stool and fraying, ancient hat. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts school. Now, if you would follow me into the hall, we are ready for the sorting to begin. When I call your name, you will come up and place the hat upon your head. The hat will sort you into your houses." She walked into the Great Hall, and the new students followed her in silence. They were all too nervous to speak.

Remus gasped when he first saw the ceiling of the hall. It swirled with the pinks and purples of the setting sun, and a bright quarter moon, peaked out from behind a wisp of cloud. It was waxing, and would be full in a week or so, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

The hat was set upon the stool in the front of the hall. The first student began to step forward, expecting her name to be called, but she was stopped when the had opened its mouth (could hats have mouths? thought Remus) and began to sing.

_ Long before this school was built,_

_ And it was very long ago,_

_ Magic ran wild throughout the land_

_ And caused chaos, don't you know._

_ And four smart folks decided _

_ That's not the way to be._

_ They built this school together_

_ For the benefit of you and me. _

_ But, alas, these four friends,_

_ Who never argued all their life,_

_ Found themselves in conflict_

_ Which could have caused much strife:_

_ Between them they found they couldn't_

_ Decide who they should teach_

_ For they valued different qualities_

_ And a favorite trait went to each._

_ Gryffindor wanted those who were brave,_

_ And with courage in their hearts,_

_ Ravenclaw wanted intelligence_

_ And only those with smarts,_

_ Slytherin wanted ambitious ones_

_ Who would have success in any way,_

_ Hufflepuff wanted the honest and loyal,_

_ Loved hard work and fair play._

_ And so they sorted students while they lived._

_ But, alas, they couldn't continue forever_

_ So they created me to sort you_

_ Have I been wrong? No, never._

_ I'll see everything within your head,_

_ Everything you try to hide._

_ And I'll know just where to put you_

_ From what I see inside. _

Remus gulped as he heard these last few words. The hat would see he was a werewolf; there was know way he would be able to hide that. Would it announce it to the school? Would it prevent him from being sorted at all? Would it see that he had this darkness in him and put him in something like Slytherin? He looked over at that table, and he saw the pale blond boy, Lucius Malfoy, sitting there, talking to his little gang, who listened with rapt attention. Remus didn't want to be in that house, not with those people. His thoughts were interrupted by the first student stepping forward in line, their names called out by Professor McGonagall. "Abazorius, Ethan."

A boy, fairly tall for his age and with sandy colored hair, stepped forward. He placed the hat on his head, and everyone waited for a moment. Suddenly, the seam of the hat opened and it called out, "Ravenclaw." Everyone at that table cheered, stopping when Professor McGonagall called out the next name, "Araby, Ossa." A dark-haired girl with sharp eyes was quickly sorted into Hufflebuff.

The line moved forward with each name, and after Benjamin, Stuart became a Ravenclaw, it was Sirius' turn. He stepped forward nervously and placed the hat on his head. Suddenly he heard a voice, the same voice that had been calling out names of houses.

"Another Black?" it said, almost amused. "But where to put this one? You seem much different than most of your family you know. Much more like your cousin Andromeda."

"I don't want to be in the same house as the rest of my family. I want to be different than they are." He didn't knew why he was thinking this, he knew he would be in trouble if he wasn't a Slytherin, but he didn't care.

"Don't want to be with the rest of your family? Well then, I know the only place to put you. No self-respecting Black would ever be in GRYFFINDOR." This last word was shouted out loud to the whole school, and Sirius happily joined his table. The Slytherins were scowling slightly, but as Sirius looked over at his cousin Andie, she looked excited for him.

The line continued on, name by name, sorting fairly equally into the other houses. The next Gryffindor after Sirius was a pretty redheaded girl called Lily Evans, who smiled brightly when she took her place at the table.

Remus slowly moved forward as the line grew shorter. Dumbledore wouldn't have let him in if he wouldn't be really allowed, would he? But he wasn't in charge of the decisions the Sorting Hat made, so he wouldn't be able to do anything if the hat refused to sort Remus. He was a werewolf, he didn't belong at Hogwarts, and the hat would know it. There was nothing he could do now. He could run now, escape the possibility that the hat would announce to the whole school his secrets, just bolt out the door. No one would miss him. Except maybe for James and Sirius and Peter. They were the first people to ever talk to him like . . . He didn't know what. Sort of like a friend. That was new for Remus, but he wanted it so desperately. He looked back in the line at James, who smiled encouragingly. Kellerman, Horace became another Hufflepuff and went to join his friends at their table. Now it was Remus' turn. He heard his name called, nervously sat on the stool, and placed the hat on his head.

"What do we have here?" asked a small voice. "This is something new."

"Please," thought Remus, "sort me anywhere, just don't send me away, don't tell everyone what I am."

"What, a werewolf?" Remus cringed a little when the hat said this. "Well, I definitely won't turn you away. But I can't sort you just anywhere, now can I? You'll be put where I think you should go, and that's the long and short of it. But where?"

"I just want to be where they won't judge me. Won't cast me out. I want to have friends." He looked at Sirius at the Gryffindor table, and at James and Peter in line.

"That shouldn't be too hard. Let's see now. Hufflepuffs would treat you fairly, won't judge you, but I think you are a bit to studious for them. I don't think you would like Ravenclaw very much, though you clearly have the smarts for it. I see that you want to be accepted at any cost, and maybe that could be a Slytherin trait, but no, I don't think that would suit you at all. Well then, that only leaves GRYFFINDOR." In an instant, that table was cheering; Sirius was clapping loudly and smiling. Remus ran to sit next to him and watch the rest of the sorting. Almost immediately after, Morgan, Carol became another Gryffindor, joining Lily happily.

Peter and James continued to wait, impatiently, for their turn. At least James was a little impatient. He knew where he would be going, or at least he thought he did. Both his parents and all his family before him had been in Gryffindor, and there was no real reason for him to be in any other house. Everyone always told him how he was just like his father.

Peter, on the other hand, was growing rather terrified as he moved closer and closer. He wanted to be in Gryffindor with Sirius and Remus, needed it. But he wasn't brave. He didn't want to admit it, not at this young age, but in his heart, he already knew. He had never been able to stand up to bullies, so he joined in and befriended them. And that's what he was planning on doing, and the hat would probably know it. He didn't have any longer to wonder, though, because Professor McGonagall called out, "Pettigrew, Peter," and James pushed him lightly towards the hat, smiling. Nervously, he sat and put it on his head.

"Hello," said the hat encouragingly. "Now, where do you belong?"

"Perhaps Gryffindor?" suggested Peter hopefully. "I think I would do well there."

"Do you?" asked the hat. "Well, I think other places might suit you better. You are very ambitious, I can see that quite clearly. You could very well find like-minded folks in Slytherin."

"No, I don't think so," thought Peter. "I think I would rather like to be in Gryffindor."

"Alright then, but that's going to take some effort on your part, my friend. One day, you will prove your bravery, and you may not be happy with the result. But you will prove it, and you will belong in GRYFFINDOR." That table cheered once again, and Peter breathed a sigh of relief. The joy of the moment made him quickly forget the predictions of the hat.

James ran up to the stool and the Sorting Hat as soon as his name was called.

"Ah, yes, the next Potter boy. Well, I know just where to put you, that isn't much difficulty. But before I do, a quick warning. You do quite belong where I am putting you, and you will grow up to do great things, that I can see. But you must not forget that no one is perfect, and you are above no one. While I can foresee great successes for you, you have the potential for great failure as well. Just be careful. Remember this, alright?"

"Yes, yes, alright. So where will I be sorted?" Though he really already knew.

"Fine, then. You already know you are going to GRYFFINDOR." James eagerly ran to join his three new friends, his stomach rumbling quietly. They waited patiently through the rest of the sorting. A greasy haired boy with pale skin and a very long nose glared at James and Sirius as soon as he was sorted into Slytherin, which was odd, because neither of them had seen this boy before in their lives.

Finally, when a boy called Wilkes became a Slytherin, all thirty-six new students had been split into the four houses, and everyone's stomachs were growling. Dumbledore, however, stood to speak, much to the new students' dismay. The older students simply told them to be quiet and listen.

"Welcome, all. So good to see old, familiar faces, and bright new ones. But I will not bore you quite yet. It grows late, and as the minutes tick we grow hungrier and hungrier. So, let the feast commence." He waved his hand gently, and food appeared in great gold plates in front of them.

Remus had never seen so much, and nothing so extravagant. He eagerly reached out to pick up a fork and dig in, but then paused. He hoped that the silverware wouldn't be actual silver, which it was, most of the time.

"Come on, Remus, dig in," said James, his own plate quite full of roast chicken, potatoes, and all sorts of other good things. Sirius nodded in agreement, his mouth stuffed.

Cautiously, Remus reached out to the serving spoon and breathed a sigh of relief. It was gold, or something like it, and he eagerly filled his plate, laughing at a joke Sirius made when he had finally swallowed. This was set to be one of the best nights of his life, and for the first time in five years, the full moon, only a week away, seemed like it wouldn't be for ages.

As the plates began to empty, and second and third helpings were finally swallowed down, Dumbledore stood to speak once again. "An excellent feast, I hope you all thought. Before we send you off to bed, for tomorrow will begin a busy year of learning, I have a few important announcements. First, I would like to remind all students that the Forbidden Forest is as its name implies: forbidden to all students not accompanied by a teacher during a class. Also, our caretaker, Argus Filch, has begun a list of items banned from the halls, and it will be posted in all common rooms. I would also like to remind students to respect the authority of the Head Boy and Head Girl, Lucius Malfoy and Andromeda Black, because we seemed to have some problems with that last years."

Here, James leaned over to Sirius and whispered, "Lucius Malfoy? How the hell did he get to be Head Boy?"

Sirius shrugged, and answered, "I guess his father had something to say about it. I'm surprised though, I thought he only had sway over the old headmaster. I-" but he was interrupted by a loud "Shh!" from one of the older students.

Dumbledore was still speaking. "I have one very important announcement for all students. As you stroll through the grounds, you are sure to discover a new addition to the landscaping at Hogwarts. We have acquired a Whomping Willow which was found in a Muggle jungle, and which has been moved to our school to prevent any suspicion. This tree is extremely dangerous, and I cannot stress the importance of exercising caution when nearing the tree. I would strongly advise against touching it, as it has very violent tendencies."

Many of the new students, including Remus and Peter, wondered how a tree could have violent tendencies, but didn't question it. A few students began to yawn loudly, as night grew later and later.

"Right, I won't keep you much longer. I just wanted to wish you all the best of years. I know each of our staff is eager to fill your brains with knowledge, and I hope each of you is eager enough to have it filled. Good night, get sleep, and awake ready to learn." The students applauded lightly at the end of the headmaster's speech, and began to stand to leave.

One of the older students, a prefect, stood and called the first years to her. "Follow me to our common room," she said, and they followed her through the winding staircases and stared, wide-eyed at paintings that moved and called out greetings to them. Finally, they reached a painting of a fat woman in a pink dress. "The password is 'solla sollew.' Use that to get into the common room, and it'll be posted it the password changes." The portrait swung open and revealed a grand common room, decorated in bright reds and gold. A fire was roaring and a hand full of students were up playing chess or cards. The prefect showed the first years up to their dormitories.

Their trunks and belongings were already next to beds, which were warm and inviting. Remus crawled into his bed and smiled, full and happy. He was tired from a long day rather from the exhaustion of a full moon, which was a refreshing new family, and he easily nodded off to sleep with only a glance at the bright moon still visible from the window.

A/N: Did you like? Did you hate? Tell me! I would love constructive criticism, with suggestions on how I can make it better. Next chapter will come eventually, but I won't make any promises. Sorry that this takes so long. But if you review, it'll come faster.


	6. Birthdays, Teachers, and Mysterious Plan...

A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY COURTNEY!!!! Sorry, this is being posted on her birthday, so I had to make a shout-out. Many thanks to those who reviewed. I apologize for the poor quality of my sorting hat song, but I don't usually rhyme, so it was hard. I'm also sorry I'm always so slow to update. That's all for now, enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: all characters except for a handful of originals are JKR's, no copyright infringement intended.

Once, They Were Friends

Book One: Moony

Chapter 5: Birthdays, Teachers, and Mysterious Plans

The boys awoke the next morning, tired but excited to start their new classes. They ran down to the great hall for breakfast and waited for Professor McGonagall to hand out their schedules. While they were munching on scrambled eggs, sausages, and toast, she passed them out to each student.

"Potions first, then Defense Against the Dark Arts, then Transfiguration for a double block," read off James. "We all have the same schedule, don't we?" The others nodded in assent.

Suddenly, with a great whooshing and flapping, about a hundred owls descended upon the tables, dropping letters and packages to students. Much to Remus' surprise, a letter landed neatly next to his drink.

"Who's written to you?" asked Sirius with food in his mouth.

"I think it's my mother," said Remus. He opened the letter and read to himself.

_Dear Remus, _it said,

_Hope your first days are going well. I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday. Make sure to have a good time. Pay attention in your classes, be good to your teachers, and have fun. Everything is going well here. Please write often; I want to stay in touch even when you're away. _

_ Lots of love, from your mother. _

_ PS: In a few days, I'll be sending you something, but it was heavy, so I couldn't send it with this owl! Love from mom._

"Hey, Remus, how come you didn't tell us it was your birthday?" asked James.

"I don't know," said Remus. "I guess I forgot about it. In all the excitement and everything."

"You should never forget your own birthday," said Sirius. "We'll come up with something fun to do later. Maybe some exploring for the kitchens, so we can get you a cake. I'll have to think about it." He had a mischievous grin on his face, and James returned the look.

Remus only shook his head. "You don't have to do anything special. Look, we should head out to our first class. We don't want to be late."

So they got up from the table and began to search for their first class, Potions. It was in a classroom on the far side of the school, in a big room with lots of windows. Sun was streaming in, but most of the students were hesitant to enter, choosing rather to hang back near the door.

Once most of the students had gotten there, a fairly young woman with dark hair that fell to her waist entered from another door. "Come in, come in," she said, smiling. "I don't bite." The students, Gryffindors and Slytherins, took seats with their friends, most reluctant to sit near the front. "Welcome to Potions," said their teacher. "I'm Professor Nichollo, and eventually I'll learn all of your names too." She smiled at them again. "Now, this class can seem intimidating. You have a lot of directions to follow when you try to make a potion, and everything has to be just right, or the potion won't work. But I'm here to tell you that it isn't that difficult, not really. Now, have any of you every done any cooking or baking? Go on, raise you're hands, don't be shy." Most of the girls and a few of the boys raised their hands timidly. "Well then, you'll probably be just fine in this class."

At these, most of the students looked skeptical. Someone in the back of the room called out, "How's that?"

"Well," said Professor Nichollo patiently. "I'll show you." She summoned a large plate from behind her desk. "This is a plate of brownies. Everyone can take one, just pass the plate down. What are some of the ingredients that went into these brownies?"

Students called out things like "flour," "milk," "chocolate," and "eggs." Some tried to call out these things with food in their mouths, and bits of brownie sprayed over a few of the desks.

"Good, good. Now, do any of these things look or feel or taste like the brownies you're eating?" Most of the students shook their heads and mumbled "no." "Right," said the young professor. "That's what Potions is. You take a bunch of ingredients, put them together in the right way, and you have an end product that is completely different that what you started with. Now, there are more rules to potion making than there are to cooking, but if you approach it the same way, it'll be a lot easier for you." She paused to walk over to the blackboard in the front of the room. "Now, take out some parchment, and we'll get started. We are going to be looking at some of the basic potion-making ingredients you will be using this year, so you understand why they do what they do."

The students soon discovered that, while Professor Nichollo could be a fun, kind teacher, she was also going to be challenging. They were left with a small amount of homework, just to finish copying some notes into a chart, but also with the promise of a project that would be coming up at the end of the month.

Their next class was Defense Against the Dark. Instead of lingering in the doorway, James and Sirius were more confidant, and they took seats in the middle of the classroom. "Not so fast," said a rough voice from a chair that was facing away from the classroom. He spun around to face them. "I'm seating you alphabetically."

He was an older man, black hairs peppering what was mostly grey. He was unshaved, though he didn't really have a beared. His features were rough, and his eyes were sharp and cold. He was studying the students as they entered, and when the bell rang to signal the start of class, he began. "So you all are first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws? Alright, I'll seat you in a minute. Let me get my notes. Abazorius, Benjamin, Black!" He called out names and pointed to a table for three. He went down the rows calling the names. "Next, Calvin, Dawson, and Evans! After them, Morgan, Lupin, and Lincoln. Then Patrick, Pettigrew, Potter." Here he paused. "Are you William Potter's grandson?" James nodded. "I worked for him when I first started with the ministry. He's a great man. So is your father. If you're anything like either of them, I should be expecting good things from you."

"Thank you, sir," said James.

"Right," said the professor, "Well then, only a few more. Oaks, Rogoff, Spencer. Finally, Tuddle, Vasserman, Wadsworth. Good, everyone has a seat."

Remus wondered for a moment how he was expected to remember all these people, who, except for three, had now real importance to him. He didn't have long to think about this, though.

Their teacher walked back to the front of the classroom and surveyed the rest of his students. His eyes rested on Remus for a moment, and something subtle changed in his expression. Remus couldn't tell what the change was, but he didn't like it. He looked at he girls sitting next to him, but they didn't seem to have noticed anything.

Their teacher cleared his throat, calling the class to order, though there was really no need. "My name is Professor Kirn, and I'll be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts for your Hogwarts career. I suppose you might be wondering what qualifies me to teach you such an important subject. We can begin with a little of my history. I started off with a career in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when I graduated school. I was working to become an Auror, and became a successful one under the guidance of William Potter. Working with him, I helped hunt down the last few supporters of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald. However, it was hunting dark creatures which really fascinated me.

"I began working with the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Beasts, hunting them in the wild where they could both endanger wizards and Muggles, and could pose the threat of exposure. I killed a number of acromantula, hunted a vampire or two, and I worked on a team that drove a clan of giants deep into the mountains, far, far away from wizard kind. In the prime of my career, I even exterminated--" he paused and glanced at Remus with a sinister smile, "five werewolves."

Most of the class looked impressed. James smiled and looked over at Sirius, who whispered, "Cool." He looked over at Remus, who wasn't paying attention to anybody else. He was surprised to find his friend's expression shocked, almost fearful. Remus was taken aback by this proclamation, though he knew he shouldn't be. He knew the staff wouldn't all be as accommodating as Dumbledore, knew some of them would have had past prejudices to overcome before they could accept a werewolf as a student. He just didn't know some of their hatred would be so violent.

A girl with bright red hair in front of him was raising her hand. "Yes, Miss . . . Evans," Professor Kirn said, looking down at his student roster.

"Professor, aren't the policies of the ministry to capture and relocate rather than kill large and dangerous creatures? _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_ stresses that. And aren't werewolves considered human most of the year? Wouldn't killing them be considered murder?"

Both the professor and Remus were surprised by this young girl's questions. Remus was surprised to find someone who wasn't impressed by the killing of werewolves, who didn't regard them as monsters unfit to live. Professor Kirn was surprised to find a first year student, and especially a female Gryffindor, who had read her textbooks and had an understanding of wizarding law. He had not yet faced such a student, and he didn't like it, not one bit.

"To answer your questions, Miss Evans, yes, it is now ministry policy to relocate rather than kill in all but the most extreme of cases. And yes, by most law, werewolves are considered, for the most part, human, with a few exceptions. When I was working with for the Committee, however, these laws had not yet been taken into effect. Also, even the current laws regarding werewolves state that if a person suffering from lycanthropy does not adequately provide a safe place for habitation on full moons, or puts him- or herself in a position that could endanger the lives of others, then, on full moons, they are classified as a 'dangerous beast' and are dealt with accordingly. That is the law, and it must be followed."

He was looking at Remus for the entirety of this speech, but, because he sat behind the red-headed girl, no one took notice besides him. This class was going to be a problem, and he knew it.

A discussion of course goals took up most of the remainder of class, and they were left with an assignment to outline the first chapter of _Fantastic Beasts. _ The bell rang, and Remus, Sirius, James, and Peter regrouped and ran to lunch.

After break, they had their double block of Transfiguration. They were some of the last few students to reach the class, which they shared with Hufflepuff students. Nearly everyone had taken seats already, but the four boys found some in the back. The classroom was empty except for a brown cat with odd markings around its eyes and a very stiff posture. Someone asked loudly, "So when is this professor getting here? Awful rude of a teacher to be late for her own class!" A few other kids laughed. Somehow, the cat looked as if it was not amused.

Suddenly, the cat was no longer a cat, but a very stern looking Professor McGonagall, whom they had met at the sorting the night before. "As you can see, Mr. Kellerman, I am not late, and I would hope that the next time you enter my class and there is apparently no teacher, you will remain as well behaved as if their was. That is fair, is it not?" The Hufflepuff boy nodded. "Good," said the professor.

"Welcome to Transfiguration," she said to the rest of the staff. "This is the study of changing one thing into another, and it is one of the most difficult courses you will take at Hogwarts. It is a study based on the practical application of complex magical theory. The work we will begin work this year changing small inanimate objects into other small inanimate objects, the least complex forms of transfiguration. We will progress to work with small animals by the end of this year, working to change them into objects with similar form. Today, we will just be discussing theory, and next class we will begin with some actual magic."

The remainder of the class was spent taking notes and answering questions which grew increasingly more difficult. James and Sirius found that they were competing for the chance to answer with Carol Morgan and Lily Evans, who always had their hands raised. Remus usually knew the answer, but chose not to raise his hand during this first class. He was called on once or twice, and was correct in his response, but he doubted himself and so was reluctant. He would have to work on that fear, but that was for another day.

Finally, the bell rang, and Remus followed his friends towards the door. "One moment, Mr. Lupin," said Professor McGonagall. He stopped, and so did James and Sirius. "I need to talk to Mr. Lupin for a moment. You three go on to dinner and he will catch up with you." So the others had no choice but to head for dinner. "Next Saturday is the full moon," said McGonagall, turning to look at Remus. He looked anxiously at the door, and she was able to read his fears. "Relax there is no one there. Do you know what the arrangements are for you to transform?"

"No, ma'am."

"Alright then. Professor Dumbledore has found a long tunnel, which leads into a small building just outside of Hogwarts' grounds. This is the building where you will spend full moons. It is completely secure, and no one will be able to enter it. Over the entrance of the tunnel, the Whomping Willow has been planted, so no one will be able to get in that way either. Madame Pomfrey will show you how to get past the Willow on Saturday."

"Where will I meet her? Outside?"

"No, I think it would be best to meet her in the hospital wing. Get there well before moon rise, and the nurse will show you where to go."

Relieved that there were good arrangements for the full moon, Remus looked impatiently out the door. His stomach was growling, and he wanted dinner. "Can I go?" he asked, as politely as he could make the question sound.

"Yes, you may go to dinner," said the professor, and he ran off, eager to rejoin his friends.

He found a seat next to Peter, arriving in the middle of hushed discussions over the possibility of tonight's adventure. Remus helped himself to dinner, and listened in on their plans.

"So we have to find the kitchens," James was saying. "Where do we start?"

A/N: I was going to do more, but it didn't fit in this chapter, so that will be the next one. Just a note: I will be fixing a few small mistakes in the first few chapters, as I now have a few more things planned out and need to make some edits. That will be happening before I post new chapters, so just be patient. Remember, reviews make me write faster, so pretty please give me feedback.


	7. First Adventure

A/N: Yay! A new chapter! Alas, a very short new chapter. Stuff will start being longer in a few weeks, I promise. Thanks to all your reviews. Beansie: A friend pointed out to me that if Peter were Muggle-born, it's not likely he would have been allowed to become a Death Eater, nor would he have had the desire to become one, what with the whole purity of blood thing. Courtney: I realize they wouldn't be patient, and I know I introduce a lot of people (half of whom you helped make up, so I don' t know why you are complaining), but that's life. I don't need to explain them all or give them purpose yet, as long as it comes eventually.

By the way, accompanying this chapter will be a few edits of my first few chapters, just fixing a few errors, things I don't like, etc, so if you want, you can look over those changes, but it's nothing major.

Disclaimer: standard disclaimer applies

Once, They Were Friends

Book One: Moony

Chapter 6: First Adventure

"The kitchens are probably somewhere near the Great Hall, right?" said Sirius. The others nodded. "Either one floor right above, below, or next to it. I don't think they are right above us, because we've had a class in one of those rooms, and I saw kids going into most of the doors right above here. I think there's a way to get in from the entrance hall, or maybe in the dungeons below us."

"Well though out," said Remus, "but this school is huge. We could be searching for hours, and I don't want you guys going into that kind of trouble for my birthday. It isn't that important, really."

"First of all," said James, "your birthday is very important to us, your friends. Second, having said that, this isn't just for cake. We want to start learning every nook and cranny of this school, for optimum pranking capabilities. We have to start somewhere, why not the kitchens."

"I think it's a great idea," said Peter enthusiastically, though the remark was entirely unnecessary.

"Right,"said Sirius in an off-handed way, not sure how to respond. "If everyone is done eating, I think we should go now, if we want to roam the halls without crowds. Most people are eating." James nodded in agreement, and Remus grabbed another roll for the exploit. He wasn't used to this much food at once, and found he was unusually hungry.

The entrance hall was almost completely empty, making their voices echo a little. They wandered around the perimeter of the hall, peering down the halls of classrooms, running their hands along the walls near the door to the great hall. The four of them had split up, Sirius and Lupin both wandering on their own and Peter tailing James.

Rather suddenly, Sirius shouted out, "I think I've found something." He was standing by the side of the great staircase that led up into the next floors.

James ran over to him, and, not paying very close attention to where he was going, he crashed into another student. "Sorry about that," he said, standing up and brushing himself off. He looked at the pale, greasy haired boy, and extended his hand. "I'm James Potter."

"I know who you are," spat the scowling boy. "And I want nothing to do _you. _ Any of you," he added, surveying Remus' secondhand robes. His were, oddly enough, of the same quality, but his attitude was so cold that one was inclined to ignore that about him.

"I was just trying to be polite," said James, a little bitterly. "You didn't have to bite my head off. What do I care if I have nothing to do with you?"

The other boy looked at James, deliberating whether to respond or not. In the end, he found he had nothing to say, and instead stalked up the stairs to his dormitory.

"That was odd," said James to Remus and Peter, then, realizing Sirius was still waiting for them, turned and ran over to him.

"I found a door," said Sirius when the others came over. "I think I'll open it."

"Because that's the last thing one would expect you to do with a door," said James, laughing. Sirius glared, then laughed and opened the door.

Behind it was a small corridor with a marble staircase. It didn't lead to any classrooms that they could see, so they decided this was a promising route to take. Down the staircase was a hallway covered in paintings of fruit.

"It would make sense for one of these to lead to the kitchens," said James, "but I can't see any door."

Remus leaned against the wall, then pulled back quickly when he felt a painting behind him. He shook his head to get the hair out of his eyes, some of it hitting against the canvas. "I told you we shouldn't have bothered. How are we, a bunch of first year students in their first real day of school, supposed to be able to find the kitchens, which I'm guessing most students never find." But just as he said these words, the large green pear behind him began to laugh, and the painting swung off the wall, revealing a bustling kitchen.

"You were saying, Remus?" said James, smiling and pushing ahead into the kitchen.

"Honestly, Remus, you mustn't doubt our abilities as a pranking team. I think tonight's little exploit proves we are going to be very successful in this school, don't you think, James?"

"I think I do, Sirius. Now, are we getting cake or not?"

As soon as he said that, a half-dozen short little creatures with large eyes and pointed ears surrounded them. "How may we help young sirs?" asked one of the elf-like creatures. "It is our pleasure to be of service to you."

Sirius noticed Remus' confused and mystified expression and whispered, "They're house-elves. We have one at home. They cook and clean and things." Remus nodded in understanding.

James had decided to speak up. "We want a cake for our friend here. What kind are you partial to, Remus?"

"I've always liked chocolate, but what ever you guys want is fine, too."

James nodded. "A large chocolate cake, with the words 'Happy Birthday Remus' if you can manage it. And some candles or sparklers would be nice, too."

Within minutes, the house-elves returned with a cake, alight with sparkling candles. "Wonderful," said James, and carrying the cake out of the kitchen, he added, "We're welcome back, right?"

"Of course, young masters. It is our sworn duty to serve Hogwarts staff and students."

"Excellent," said Sirius, just thinking of the possibilities, the fun they could have with such access to food. "Shall we head back up to the dormitory and enjoy this, then?"

James walked first, carrying the large cake. He was followed by Sirius and Peter. Remus walked a few paces behind. He saw the cake that sparkled ahead of him, and he didn't care if it was as good as it looked or if it tasted like mud. He had friends who made the effort to mark his birthday as if it was something special, something to be celebrated. Since Rom had died, his mother tried to make his birthdays joyous, but since it would have also been his brother's birthday, these events could never really be enjoyed. Nothing in Remus' life for the past two years had really been enjoyed, because he had no one to enjoy it with. Now he had friends. Good friends, friends who were beginning to care about him. They didn't really know each other, not yet, but that would come in time. Soon, they would be nearly inseparable, like best friends often were, and they would know everything about each other.

Everything. That frightened Remus. His secrets were what would drive them away, what would keep out all that he longed for. They had been impressed by Professor Kirn's "accomplishments," Remus sensed that. They looked at their teacher with a sort of awe young boys usually reserve for athletes and super-heros, not teachers. That meant they thought werewolves were something to be killed, monsters to be disposed of.

So they must never find out. Not ever. It wouldn't be easy, but he would begin getting practice at it in just a few days time. The full moon was approaching. Remus could feel it.

A/N: That's all for a while, 'cause I'll be away from a computer for the next five or six days. Sorry. But you know what to do. Leave lots of reviews for me to read when I get back. That would be much appreciated.


	8. Harvest Moon

A/N: Thanks so much to all those who reviewed, especially lilikins, who left me four great messages to read. This chapter is for my friend Courtney, stuck at church camp with no fanfic for a week. At least you have stuff to read when you get home!

Standard disclaimer always applies, and it hasn't changed since my first chapter.

Once, They Were Friends

Book One: Moony

Chapter 7: Harvest Moon

Days passed without event, except for a Defense Against the Dark Arts class which really gave the full measure of Professor Kirn's character. At the beginning of Friday's class, he asked a particularly difficult question relating to the previous night's homework. Most students didn't know the answer; James and Sirius were both trying to finish the homework under their desks. Four students, however, did have their hands raised: Lily Evans, Carol Morgan, a Ravenclaw girl named Adruinna Patrick, and Remus Lupin.

Professer Kirn stared passed these hands, and asked, "Does anyone know the answer? Come on, I don't believe all of you are that blockheaded."

Stuart Benjamin, the Ravenclaw boy who sat next to Sirius, raised his hand. "Finally," their teacher said. "Mr. Benjamin, tell them."

Stuart gave his answer, and was correct. After he finished, he paused, and said, "But, sir-"

"Yes?" the professor said, surprised.

"Their were four other people who knew the answer, sir. Why did you wait to call on me?" He had a nervous look on his face, as if he knew he shouldn't be questioning a teacher in the first week of classes but knew it was a question that needed to be asked.

Kirn studied his pupil for a moment, then answered. "Very observant of you. However, you might have noticed that these four students seemed to always have their hands raised, and I knew they knew the answer. I wanted to see of others knew as well." It seemed like a satisfying answer, though the three girls and Remus all knew it to be a lie. This was only their third class, and none of them had been called on for answers. Stuart, on the other hand, answered frequently, and always had things right. If anyone in the class knew, it would have been him.

The girls were angry when they went to their next class, especially Carol, who was ranting to Lily on their way to Potions. Remus didn't think James or Sirius would have cared to hear him complain about their DADA professor. They both liked him, and the way he taught. Besides, Remus couldn't explain why he was being ignored by their teacher the same way the girls could. He had enough on his mind coming up with ways to explain his absence Saturday night.

This became even more difficult that evening at dinner. After taking his first bite, Sirius asked suddenly to his friends, "What do you want to explore Saturday night? Or should we work on our first prank?"

"I think exploring sounds good," replied James. "We can't plan a prank without knowing where things are. What if we need a fast getaway so we don't get caught? Or somewhere to hide?"

The two of them began to eagerly talk about wandering through the castle at night, Peter nodding his head at everything they suggested, but Remus stayed silent. How would he be able to get away for the moon. He had been planning on staying out of their way all day, then sneaking off to the infirmary without being missed, but this complicated it. His friends would expect him to explore with them, and it would be hard to get away. He supposed he could say he was sick, which would likely be true, but that excuse would get old fast. A nagging little voice somewhere in his head offered up an unwelcome suggestion: What if you just tell them? If their you're real friends, they won't care. If they aren't, who needs them?

_I need them, _Remus thought, _even if they would care. _ He forced himself out of this train of thought, instead listening to the plans being made. The almost full moon was growing bright as the sun set and night came.

Remus awoke late Saturday morning, pulling himself out of a deep sleep when his friends made noise. He was beginning to feel ill, and by the time he managed to climb out of bed, everyone had left for breakfast.

He looked in the mirror as he dressed. His skin was pale, and his scars were clearer than usual. Not as clear as the summer moons, but more obvious than other days. He was glad he was alone.

At breakfast, Remus ate little. James looked him over when he came down, and noticed the change in his friend. "Are you alright?" he asked. Remus nodded, and James didn't push.

Mail arrived soon after Remus came down to eat. Two owls held a large package between them, and they set it down at Remus' place. He tore the paper off carefully, and found a note on top of a thick, hardcover book. The note, from his mother, read: _For your birthday, and for every other day as well, with love from mom. _The book was a new addition of _The Lord of the Rings_ in one volume. The pages were crisp, and Remus let a smile cross his face for the first time that day. He was ready to ignore his friends for the rest of the day, plunging himself into the comforting world of Middle-earth.

For the rest of the day, that is what he did. Alone, he found a comfortable spot under a tree just beginning to turn orange and gold, and he read. He read through lunch, and he was able to forget the changes beginning inside of him as the moon began to creep up unseen, hidden by the daylight. But not for long.

Before dinner, he was found by his friends and almost dragged into the Great Hall. They had spent the whole day leaving him alone, but now they had plans to finalize. James began to explain the area they would be exploring, and what each person was going to do.

Remus, who wasn't hungry and didn't eat anything, finally needed to make his excuse and depart. The sun was beginning to drop in the sky, and would set soon enough. "I- I don't think I'll be able to go with you tonight," he said when James finished sharing the plans for that night.

"Why not?" Sirius asked.

He answered as honestly as he could. "I don't feel very well. I think I'll go to the hospital wing, then maybe to bed. I'm pretty tired."

James looked concerned. "Do you want us to go with you?" he asked.

"No!" Remus said, a little to forcefully. "No, that's alright. You guys go exploring. I'll come another night." He got up from the table and headed to the infirmary alone.

The nurse, a motherly woman just reaching middle-age, was waiting for him. "Right on time," she said brightly. "It's good to see a young man whose punctual. Alright, lets have a look at you before we head down to the Willow." She looked him over with her careful eye, a frown growing on her face. "Your too pale, and too skinny. Well, the food at here will fix that soon enough." She smiled at him warmly, then looked at her watch. "Time to go down. The moon will be rising soon. Follow me."

She led him out the door and onto the grounds, watching carefully to make sure no one was watching. They reached a large, impressive looking willow tree that was standing so still, the leaves didn't blow in the wind. As they approached, however, it began to twitch, then thrash madly.

"How do I get past that?" Remus asked, afraid that this would be some sort of test or punishment he would have to face on the full moons.

"Easily enough." The nurse began looking through some shrubbery, and pulled out a long stick, long enough to touch the Whomping Willow without getting too close. "See the knot on the trunk?" She pointed in the right direction. Remus nodded. "All you have to do is touch the knot with this branch and _voila."_ The tree stopped suddenly, and didn't move again when they got up close.

Behind the willow, Remus could see the opening to a tunnel, no more than a hole in the ground. "Is that where I'll go?" he asked.

She nodded. "It goes down a ways, until you reach a house that's been sealed shut to outsiders. You won't be able to get out, and no one will be able to get in. I'll come get you in the morning."

Madame Pomfrey watched him climb in the tunnel and turned to leave when he was out of site. Remus followed the path into a small, neatly furnished house. _It wouldn't be very neat for long_, he thought. The sky was now a deep blue, soon to be black. The moon was just rising now, it wouldn't be long.

Then he began to feel it. It was as if he was being torn to pieces, his flesh ripped away bit by bit. He screamed at the pain, waiting for the darkness to claim him. This change was quick, for that he was grateful. The agony was shorter, and though the night presented its own kind of torture, anything was preferable to the misery of the change. Now, he was locked away in the cage of his own mind as the wolf tore at itself and everything around him. Morning couldn't come quickly enough.

But it came, and Remus was left aching and exhausted. He crawled into the bed in the small house and fell asleep.

He didn't remember being brought back to the castle, but that was where he spent the rest of the day, dreaming dreams he would not remember. He awoke before sunset, his stomach growling. After the nurse fussed and protested, saying he needed more rest, he was finally allowed to get something to eat at the feast.

"Hey, Remus, you're back!" said James brightly. "Feeling better?"

"Much," the young werewolf said. "So how was last night?"

A/N: Okay, that was short again. And I know I've spent too many chapters on this one week. Pacing will go a lot faster from now on, I promise. I'm still just getting into this, even though it's been seven chapters. More to come soon, I hope. As always, pretty please review!


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